Gasoline Phase Out

Fuel booster compromises clean air drive: Groups

Environmental groups have called on the government to withdraw its recommendation for state oil and gas company Pertamina to use octane booster ferrocene because of the issues surrounding its use in gasoline and diesel. The State Ministry for the Environment made the recommendation in December. Nonprofit group the Join Committee for Leaded Gasoline Phase-Out (KPBB) said the recommendation was a setback to the government's commitment to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by meeting the Euro II standard for cars.

"We were shocked to learn of the recommendation. Our lengthy battle to phase out leaded gasoline will come to nothing because both lead and ferrocene have detrimental effects on the environment and human health," the committee's coordinator, Ahmad Safrudin, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday. Ahmad said the recommendation opposed the ministry's 2005 guidelines on the unleaded gasoline program, which ban the use of metallic additives including manganese and ferrocene.